Lake Elsinore officials consider increasing class sizes

LAKE ELSINORE -- Class sizes could be increased, block schedules
in high school eliminated and bus service reduced in the next two
years if the Lake Elsinore Unified School District board approves
suggestions unveiled Wednesday.

The recommendations came during a budget advisory committee
meeting Wednesday. The group of about 25 principals, teachers,
district administrators, board trustees and community members has
been working the past few weeks to suggest ways to close an
estimated $467,000 budget deficit in the 2004-05 school year.

Though the school district's financial picture is better than
last year's, it will be worse in the 2005-06 fiscal year when the
district opens two schools, Deputy Superintendent Kenn Young said.
Because of the estimated $2 million deficit then, the district
needs to make even more cuts, Young said.

"We're trying to prepare our employees and the community … for
difficult economic times," Young said after the meeting.

The district's fixed costs, such as salaries, benefits and
utility expenses, are rising faster than state funding received by
the district, Young said. Most of a school district's income comes
from the state, and about 90 percent of a district's budget
consists of fixed costs.

School districts have until June 30 to pass a balanced
budget.

In December, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled an agreement
with educators, giving school districts $2 billion more in the
fiscal year starting July 1, but half of what they are entitled to
under state law. The agreement also would give school districts
more flexibility in spending the money.

The Lake Elsinore committee discussed eliminating class-size
reduction in kindergarten or third grade. The program, partly
funded by the state, requires kindergarten through third-grade
classrooms to have a maximum of 20 students per teacher.
Eliminating the program would save $400,000 per grade. Even with
state funding, the program costs the district an extra $2 million
in salary and benefits, Young said.

Because the district has missed a state deadline for eliminating
the funding, the program couldn't be cut until 2005-06, Young said.
He acknowledged the difficulty in making cuts.

"The board wants to protect the classroom, but if everyone
protects their (item), we'll never get anywhere," Young said.

Other suggestions included increasing class sizes in high school
to save $495,000, which would save block scheduling, and increasing
the student-teacher ratio in grades four through eight to save
$500,000.

Eliminating what educators call block scheduling would save
$230,000, or the cost of four teachers. Block scheduling has
classes that last for about 90 minutes, roughly double the length
under a traditional schedule. Changing the schedule would have to
be negotiated with teachers, a process that would take the next
school year, Young said.

The district likely will increase its busing fees by $25 a year,
to $225 per student, to generate nearly $44,000.

Among other recommendations, officials discussed expanding a
pilot energy-savings plan. If put into place across the district,
it could save nearly $300,000 next year, said David Briggs, who
works in maintenance. The plan could entail turning off computers
at night, installing surge protectors and solar panels, and
decreasing the use of air conditioners.

Administrators will present the recommendations to the district
board May 4 to ask for direction and a budget could be adopted at
the May 18 meeting, Young said.